The materials integration processes described herein apply to a wide range of macro to nanodevices from macro, micro, and nanoresonators suitable for the fabrication of high frequency devices, to RF MEMS switches, to sensor structures suitable for producing high-sensitivity, high-selectivity, high-resolution, high-dynamic range bio-sensors based on high frequency resonators, to implantable biodevices for prostheses such as an artificial retina to restore sight to people blinded by retina degeneration. The micro and nanoresonators or RF MEMS switches are based on microelectromechanical system (MEMS) or nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) structures. The resonator, RF switches or biosensor devices are based on horizontal or vertical cantilever-type or membrane-type structures. The biodevices involve Si-based microchips coated with hermetic carbon coatings or other biocompatible coatings that make the Si device biocompatible and resistant to corrosive bioenvironments such as the saline solution the human eye.
The inventive processes also produce microelectronic devices such as field effect transistors (FETs) that utilize the integration of both high dielectric constant layers with diamond layers (including single crystal, polycrystalline, or nano or ultrananocrystalline diamond).
Materials integration included in this invention are carbon thin films in any of their allotropic variants such as graphite, carbon nanotubes, and single crystal, microcrystalline, and nanocrystalline ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD), and diamond like carbon (DLC), complex oxide thin films including high dielectric constant, electro-optic, and ferroelectric thin films, and metallic films used as electrode materials.
This invention relates to a wide variety of devices produced with the inventive process, some of which are disclosed in copending patents, the entire disclosures of each are herein incorporated by reference. The devices which relate to or will benefit by the subject invention are disclosed in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/351,826, 11/073,263, 11/207,379, 11/388,636, 11,542,812, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,889 B2 issued Oct. 31, 2006 entitled “Method to Grow Carbon Thin Films Consisting Entirely of Diamond Grains 3-4 NM in Size and High-Energy Grain Boundaries.